Some iPhone 16 Pro Max users report 'glitch lines' on screen

A growing number of iPhone 16 Pro Max users are noticing random “glitch lines” on their screens. These lines, often described as brief flashes of vertical distortions, appear on the lock screen when the Always-On Display (AOD) is enabled. While the issue isn’t consistent, it’s frequent enough to have users frustrated.

One Reddit user described the problem as lines that show up “occasionally” when they press the display while it’s in Always-On mode. They noted the lines vanish almost instantly, making it hard to document. This user also shared that disabling AOD temporarily resolved the issue, but the lines reappeared after updating to iOS 18.1.

Here’s an image shared by a user of the problem:

Others in the same thread reported similar experiences. One user mentioned visiting an Apple Store, where diagnostic tests confirmed the hardware was fine. Apple employees reportedly suggested the issue could be software-related and might be addressed in a future update. Still, the problem persists for many, even after updating to iOS 18.1 or trying common troubleshooting steps like factory resets.

The glitch appears to occur in very specific conditions. According to discussions on forums like MacRumors, some users have noticed the lines when the phone wakes from AOD in low-light environments where the display adjusts brightness quickly. A user claimed they were able to replicate the problem consistently under such conditions.

While the problem doesn’t seem to affect the phone’s usability, it has left users worried about long-term implications. “It resembles when a display cable isn’t fully connected,” one commenter said, describing their concern that the issue could worsen over time. Others, however, are holding out hope that Apple will release a fix soon.

If you’re experiencing this issue, the consensus among users is to turn off AOD for now. Some have also suggested restarting the phone or leaving AOD off for a few minutes before re-enabling it. If the problem persists, visiting an Apple Store might help, though reports suggest that even hardware replacements haven’t permanently fixed the issue for everyone.

That said, this isn’t the only issue iPhone 16 Pro Max users are facing with the display on their phones. Soon after the launch, many noticed issues with the brightness and PWM flickering. Another major concern that got plenty of media attention was a bug that was preventing touches from being registered.

If this issue somehow gains further attention, it’s possible that Apple might finally look into it and release a fix, if the problem is indeed software-related.